When BEYOND THE DARKNESS was released by Bantam, Simon & Schuster UK, Pocket Books and other publishers in 1995, a common, human language did not yet exist for near-death experience and all of the accompanying other-worldly qualities of an NDE. There were parts of my near-death experience for which I had no words.

There were also members of my family who would have been harmed by a full disclosure of what I dealt with as a child. And I would have violated confidences if I provided certain details of my adult life in the book. If I shared the grim details of my marriage, I was told to expect a divorce. My intention for sharing my NDE was not to create rifts within my family, but to reach others who are suffering, who live in darkness, and give them access to another way…and to answer God’s call. I labored over the decision of whether to withhold some events from my life, details that would make a substantial difference readers to know. In communing with God, the answer finally came; “Tell the truth, but tell it with compassion. The book will make it into the hands of those it’s intended to reach. And you aren’t finished. There will more to do down the road.”

All of the circumstances that precluded me from sharing those details have now changed. Those in my family who are still living have also learned some things about fear and the power of truth to set us free. My father, in particular, who passed to the other side on November 18th, 1999 has been ever-present, encouraging me to write the complete retelling of our lives together with a full and accurate account of the events that led me to take my life.

While the memory of my NDE has remained fresh these past twenty-five years, and the story remains intact, my understanding of what I experienced has expanded. When I slid back into my body after returning from death and opened my eyes, I could see with new eyes and new understanding. I could see everything around me on a molecular level. I could see the energetic field of my couch vibrating—chanting, “We are couch, serving you, serving God.” The ability to see with new eyes remained with me. With suicide rates climbing, and with all of the questions from readers that I can now more fully answer, it’s time to release a revised version of BEYOND THE DARKNESS.